Bomb disposal experts were sent in when a hand grenade was found by a family in a garden shed. Nearby houses had to be evacuated after the discovery at the home in Rishton.

Peter and Barbara Clarke and their son Stephen were ‘mystified’ when they spotted the grenade while they were clearing out the shed belonging to Peter’s cousin Margaret Cook.

After they contacted police, road blocks were set up around Rishton and a team from

the Royal Logistics Corps were sent out at around 4pm on Saturday.

A 100-metre cordon was set up around the house in Blackburn Road and evacuated residents went to the nearby Rishton Cricket Club.

They were told it was safe to go back into their homes three hours later after the pineapple shaped grenade was found to be inactive.

Peter, of Harwood Road, Rishton, said he hadn’t seen anything like it before.

The 76-year-old former company manager said: "We were clearing out the shed and my son Stephen said, ‘what’s that in the corner’?

"I said ‘it’s a hand grenade’. I have been in that shed umpteen times doing things and never noticed it."

He added: "We were surprised and mystified so contacted a neighbour. We couldn’t tell whether it was dangerous or whether it had been disarmed so just left it alone and got out."

Peter sought advice from neighbour George Lowe, a former policeman.

George, 73, said: "I rang the police. The grenade was old and rusty and must have been sat there for at least 30 to 40 years.

"We all got told to go back in our houses. It was like a bomb was about to go off."

Blackburn Road was closed from Whitebirk to Rishton while bomb experts attended the scene.

Inspector Gary Crowe, of Lancashire Police, said: "When the grenade was reported to us our officers could confirm it was a genuine hand grenade but we were not able to confirm whether or not it was live.

"A 100-metre cordon was put in place which saw a number of householders, including some elderly and infirm residents evacuated to Rishton Cricket Club.

"When bomb disposal confirmed the grenade had been deactivated the cordon was immediately removed."